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Chairman of the Local Government Association, Baroness Margaret Eaton, has presided over the association through some of its darkest days. She tells Heather Jameson about the difficulties – and the light at the end of the tunnel Baroness Margaret Eaton has been through some tough times in her role as chairman of the Local Government Association (LGA) of late – and recently, she was asked if she would be glad when her time in the role came to an end in July. Nothing could be further from the truth. ‘If I was describing my perfect job, it would be the chairman of the LGA. It's the best thing I've ever done,' she tells The MJ. Despite the difficulties the association has faced and juggling the job with her role in the Lords and a home in Yorkshire, Lady Eaton still relishes the challenge. She loves the politics of it, although says, modestly: ‘Some people may think I haven't done that very well.' She is probably right – and they are probably wrong. The LGA role has never been easy for the former Bradford leader. Since it's inception in 1997, the association has had a reasonably-smooth ride. But the bumps in the road began as Lady Eaton took the helm. She was was thrust into the limelight after Sir Simon Milton unexpectedly stepped down in 2008, and the demise of the-then chief executive, Paul Coen, was already under way. His departure led to a period of instability over the managerial leadership, but the gap was plugged by John Ransford delaying his retirement. But things have become increasingly more difficult at Local Government House. Ironically, the Government's change of political control to her own party has been a tough transition for Lady Eaton. The sector has become an easy target for Tory ministers to attack the excesses of the previous government and grab the headlines. Relations with the CLG reached an all-time low with the recent, highly-personalised nature of the criticism of Mr Ransford's salary – despite the fact he was appointed on a lower package than his predecessor. The relationship has deteriorated even further over the cuts, as the LGA attempts to defend a sector which has been ripped to shreds in light of the dire financial settlement. Lady Eaton remains positive and clear about what the association needs to do next. ‘We've had a period in which we were looking at the detail of the [Localism] Bill and the finance settlement. The focus now needs to be on helping local authorities deal with the reality of the cuts.' She is also ensuring the association is serving more than just the leaders and chief executives of local authorities, and ensuring all regions are represented at the national level. It is not an easy task, and she claims the financial situation ‘will challenge local authorities more than they have been challenged before'. Recent allegations claiming councils were as much to blame for the economic climate as the banks were not helpful, and only ‘trivialise' the situation, she suggests. But Lady Eaton is not naïve about the failings of councils. She is honest about the rising costs of public services and the need to roll back expenditure. ‘Extra resources have often gone on the bureaucracy instead of on the frontline.' And that has to stop, but there is ‘not much fat left' to be trimmed. The public rows with the secretary of state over the Localism Bill and the finance settlement have also left their mark on the association. And with member authorities considering every penny they spend, subscriptions are an added cost which must be justified – despite cuts to the cost of membership that the LGA has made to ease the burden. ‘It's no good us saying we understand the issues local authorities face, and then raising their subscriptions,' Lady Eaton explains. ‘We all appreciate that when resources are as tight as they are, members will look to see where they can make savings.' But she is convinced ‘members must stick together, otherwise, we will arrive at a system of ‘divide and rule'. She believes a plethora of different groups representing themselves in Whitehall would not work, and would give the Government the opportunity to ‘play them off against each other'. Despite the breakdown in the relationship with the CLG, Lady Eaton defends the decisions made to challenge the Government. She claims some of the challenges were necessary, and any damage that public rows have cost the Government, the unintentional consequences of its actions, had they been allowed to go ahead, would have been worse. She believes there have been some successes which have never been made public, as the LGA worked hard to have them changed at an early stage. ‘But I don't think anyone is saying we have rolled over and had our tummies tickled,' she says. Lady Eaton is a strong believer in local government and true localism, and she is convinced of the need to get the Government to understand that local government is not a problem, but a solution to many of the problems it faces. But, she adds: ‘It will only happen if local authorities are given real free reign.' As for the Conservative's Big Society agenda, she comments: ‘Local government and localism is what the Big Society is trying to do. We wouldn't call it Big Society. We call it what councillors do.' But the message of localism from central government is different from the local government understanding. ‘When you get the secretary of state advocating removing the shackles from local government, and then the Localism Bill says councils ‘may' do this, or ‘may' do that – we don't need permission to do things if we have a power of general competence.' She believes the relationship between the CLG and the LGA will settle down ‘once the Bill has received royal assent, and the finance settlement is out'. However, royal assent will not come before May – and Lady Eaton will step down in early July – not leaving much time for her to salvage her relationship with the department. However, the bond is more than purely political allegiance. Communities secretary, Eric Pickles, is not only a former Bradford leader and colleague, but also a friend. When asked if life would be easier if Mr Pickles were moved to another department, Lady Eaton neatly side-steps the question, and answers a different one. ‘I've had more experience than anyone else of working with Eric.' It may have been a long time ago, but she says: ‘I know the animal I'm working with. He has very strong views – and so do I. It's never been a personal animosity.' Perhaps one of the most damaging aspects of the criticisms of local authorities by central government has been the impact on the staff – both in councils and at the LGA itself, at a time when they are facing massive change and redundancies. The LGA is facing staff cuts in line with local government as a whole All in all, with up to 50% cuts in staff, the LGA is taking a hit which is very much in line with the local government sector as a whole. Lady Eaton pays tribute to her own staff. She says: ‘It gives staff a real feeling of not being valued. I'm really impressed with the professional way staff have worked in what must be an incredibly difficult time for them. ‘That must say something about the managerial leadership of the organisation. I've always hoped that staff feel valued.' She also takes the cross-party nation of the LGA ‘very seriously', and pays tribute to the other group leaders who she has worked with. 'I'm a Conservative and I'll always be a Conservative, but I'm there to represent the sector. It may have lost me some Conservative friends, but so be it. I've taken on a job and I'm going to do it properly. ‘I hate to think what would have happened if we had a really partisan chairman during this time.' ‘Even if I'm no longer the chairman of the LGA, I have a position in the Lords.' And Lady Eaton has no intention of abandoning local government while she still has the chance to work for the sector.

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WHITEHALL

Standing up for local government

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